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Monthly Newsletter - January 2006
"An Unusual Infection Presenting as a Chest Wall Mass" by Dr. James Mykytenko and colleagues, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
”Pericardial Fat Pad Flap Buttress” by Drs. Christopher Komanapalli and Mithran Sukumar of Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon.
“Bilateral Sequential Lung Transplantation for Pulmonary Fibrosis” by Drs. Cliff K. Choong, Bryan F. Meyers, and G. Alexander Patterson of Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri. Presented at the November 2005 meeting of the STSA.
NEW VIDEOS
“Mitral Valve Replacement and Tricuspid Valve Repair (transseptal approach)” and “Myocardial Revascularization”are both contributed by Dr. Arkalgud Sampath Kumar of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
A New Grand Rounds contribution can be found in the Residents Section entitled "Extracorporeal Perfusion, Alexis Carrel, and Charles Lindbergh" by Dr. Robert M. Sade of the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.
ADULT CARDIAC EXPERT TECHNIQUES
“Aortic Valve Repair for Aortic Insufficiency” by Drs. Stephen H. McKellar and Kenton J. Zehr, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
STS JOB FAIR
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons will launch its first Job Fair at the STS 42nd Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Chicago, January 30 – February 1, 2006. The Job Fair was developed under the auspices of the Workforce on Graduate Medical Education and its Task Force on Employment Opportunities for Graduating Residents. Dr. Walter H. Merrill is Chair of the Workforce on Graduate Medical Education; Dr. Robert S. D. Higgins chairs the Task Force.
The STS Job Center will be located at McCormick Place, (see the Meeting Bulletin for location) and will provide graduating residents a central location for learning about currently available and upcoming jobs and fellowships in cardiothoracic surgery. Residents can come to the Job Fair to find out about and apply for available opportunities.
Any academic institution, private practice, or recruiter with an open position is encouraged to fax the position description to Nancy Puckett at (312) 202-5801. Included with the position description should be a cover sheet with the name of the contact person, a telephone number and an e-mail address. If attending the STS Annual Meeting, the contact person should also provide contact information while in Chicago.
Graduating residents seeking employment can fax their curriculum vitae and any related materials to Nancy Puckett at (312) 202-5801. Resumes will be distributed to all prospective employers for consideration. A resident faxing a CV should also include a cover sheet with contact details including telephone number and e-mail address. If attending the STS Annual Meeting, the resident should provide contact information while in Chicago.
If a prospective employer would like to set up an interview with a resident, STS will help facilitate. A private interview room can be scheduled through the Job Fair office. Prospective employers wanting to set up interviews prior to the Annual Meeting can contact Nancy Puckett for assistance.
For more information about the Job Fair, please contact Nancy Puckett at (312) 202-5819 or via e-mail.
TSDA MEETING
The Thoracic Surgery Director's Association (TSDA) meeting will be held on Saturday, January 28 from 1 to 5 PM in Room N426, McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois. An interesting program is planned, with three special presentations and a new meeting component known as the Scientific Session. The latter will consist of four abstracts dealing with Thoracic Surgery education that will be presented by the primary authors, and then discussed.
THORACIC SURGERY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION (TSRA) Luncheon Theme -- Jobs and How to Get Them
Lack of quality job opportunities remains the primary concern for thoracic surgery residents, according to exit surveys from last year’s STS meeting. Hence, “Today’s Job Market: How to Look and What’s in Demand” was chosen as the topic for this year’s Thoracic Surgery Residents Association luncheon session on Monday, January 30, 2006, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM in McCormick Place N426.
“To help residents have better insight into the job process, we have assembled a panel of surgeons who have recently hired new graduates to discuss why they hired new residents, what they were looking for, and how they went about the process,” said Dr. John R. Mehall, President of the Thoracic Surgery Residents Association and a cardiothoracic surgery resident at the University of Cincinnati.
Panel members include Drs. A. Michael Borkon, of the Mid-America Heart Institute, John H. Calhoon, of the University of Texas Health Science Center, W. Randolph Chitwood, Jr., East Carolina University, Joseph N. Cunningham, Maimonides Medical Center, Kim F. Duncan, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and Joseph F. Sabik, III, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
In addition, Dr. Robert S. D. Higgins of Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center will give an interim report as Chair of the STS Taskforce on Employment Opportunities for Graduating Residents.
WOMEN IN THORACIC SURGERY (WTS) 20TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER SYMPOSIUM
In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Women in Thoracic Surgery is honoring its founders, supporters and members with a dinner symposium Saturday, January 28, 2006, from 6 to 9 PM in the Waldorf Room, Chicago Hilton Hotel, Chicago, IL. More detail and the program speakers can be found on page 60 of the STS meeting book. Those interested in attending should get in touch with Dr. Loraine Rubis ASAP.
NAVIGATING THE REFERRAL MAZE
A dinner-symposium will be held to discuss strategies for increasing patient enrollment into clinical trials - Saturday, January 28, 2006 in the Continental Ballroom (Lobby Level), Hilton Chicago Towers from 6:30 to 10:00 PM. A panel of experts will lead the discussion. For more information or to register: http://www.referralmaze.com or call 1-800-908-8052
CURRENT INSIGHTS INTO THE MANAGEMENT OF THE RIGH-RISK CARDIAC SURGICAL PATIENT
Will be the topic of a breakfast symposium from 6:30 to 8:00 AM on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 in Continental Ballroom A & B, Chicago Hilton hotel.
GROWTH AND SYNERGY IN CARDIAC SURGERY: MITRAL VALVE AND AF THERAPIES
Will be the subject of a symposium from 6:30 to 8:00 PM Monday January 30, 2006 in the Northwest Stevens 5 Room, Chicago Hilton and Towers. A team of four experts will lead the discussion.
THE 2006 DONALD B. DOTY EDUCATION AWARD
Through a generous grant from Medtronic, the WTSA has established the Donald B. Doty Educational Award with the 2005 Award of $10,000 being accorded to a group at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. The purpose of the award is twofold: to foster innovative educational initiatives in cardiothoracic surgery by WTSA members, and to provide an opportunity for the dissemination of this information to other training centers and academic institutions.
Award - An educational grant of $10,000 will be awarded to the successful applicant in March 2006 following the review of applications by the WTSA Council. It is expected that the activities associated with the award will be completed by June 15, 2007, and that the awardee will provide both a written summary report as well as a brief oral report at the time of the WTSA Annual Meeting, June 28 - July 1, 2007, at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.
Eligibility - Active and senior members in good standing of the WTSA are eligible to apply.
Applications - Applicants must complete the WTSA Donald B. Doty Education Award Application Form and submit the form to the WTSA Administrative Offices no later than JANUARY 31, 2006.
AATS ANNUAL MEETING PROGRAM
The Preliminary Program for the 86th Annual Meeting of the AATS, taking place April 29 - May 3, 2006 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is now available. Abstracts can be accessed by clicking the underlined titles. Pre-Registration and Housing are available online until March 24, 2006.
CTSNet gratefully acknowledges the financial and professional support it receives from industry. Industry support enables CTSNet to maintain and develop innovative services and content to meet the educational and professional needs of the international cardiothoracic community.
The current CTSNet sponsors are the following:
Founding Sponsors
Medtronic, Inc.
3f Therapeutics, Inc.
Sustaining Sponsors
Edward Lifesciences Corp.
St. Jude Medical, Inc.
Contributing Sponsors
Guidant, Inc.
Sorin Group
CTSNet Industry Forum Participants
ATS Medical, Inc.
Baxter
Cryocath Technologies, Inc.
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Maquet, Inc.
Terumo Cardiovascular Systems
CTSNet could not exist without this support!
EDWARDS ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF NEW MITRAL VALVE REPAIR THERAPY
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation announces the European and U.S. launch of a new mitral valve repair therapy designed to treat mitral valve insufficiency in patients suffering from congestive heart failure.
The Edwards GeoForm annuloplasty ring, which features a unique, three-dimensional shape, has been shown to treat successfully mitral regurgitation caused by cardiomyopathy and to improve the function of the left ventricle, according to a presentation delivered at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery (EACTS) in Barcelona. Cardiomyopathy is a common form of congestive heart failure that affects tens of thousands of people annually.
In his presentation, "GeoForm: A New Valvular Solution for a Ventricular Problem," Steven F. Bolling, MD, Professor of Surgery and Director of the University of Michigan Health System's Mitral Valve Clinic, presented results from a prospective study of 16 congestive heart failure patients, all of whom were suffering from mitral valve regurgitation due to distortion of the left ventricle. Six months after the patients' mitral valves were surgically repaired with the Edwards GeoForm annuloplasty ring, their mitral valve regurgitation was eliminated and the left ventricle was reformed.
Edwards Lifesciences developed the GeoForm ring with Prof. Ottavio M. Alfieri, MD, of St. Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Italy and with Dr. Bolling.
For more information, please visit http://www.edwards.com/.
Cryocath Technologies Inc. announces two new systems
CRYOCATH TECHNOLOGIES INC. announces the release of TWO NEW Surgical CryoAblation Systems, SurgiFrost 7 cm probe and FrostByte, a unique 2-in-1 cryoclamp device. The systems utilize CryoCath's new Argon technology to rapidly achieve -160°C in 30 to 60 seconds. SurgiFrost & FrostByte allow surgeons to complete all lesion lines efficiently while cryoadhesion ensures certainty in lesion placement and the ability to manipulate heart tissue. In the United States the cryosurgical systems are indicated for minimally invasive cardiac surgical procedures, including the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, 510(k) cleared.
MEDTRONIC cardiac surgery announces Cardioblate® BP2 Surgical Ablation System
MEDTRONIC CARDIAC SURGERY announces the release of its new Cardioblate® BP2 Surgical Ablation System. The new system features an irrigated bipolar ablation device with a flexible neck and slim, 7 cm active electrodes. Simply rotate the head or shape the malleable electrodes as the situation requires.
Terumo Adds new featured product
TERUMO CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS has added a new Featured Product: VirtuoSaph(tm) Endoscopic Vein Harvesting System.
EACTS announces Multimedia Manual of Cardiothoracic Surgery
The EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY (EACTS) is pleased to announce the launch of the Multimedia Manual of Cardiothoracic Surgery (MMCTS) - the premier on-line manual of cardiothoracic surgical procedures. Illustrated with videos and schematics, and including literature and product hyperlinks, MMCTS provides an interactive, multimedia guide to surgical procedures and related information. Authored by invited experts and edited by Dr. Marko Turina and a team of international specialists, MMCTS is now fully integrated into the CTSNet and HighWire Press journal collection. It is targeted at students, specialists and trainees, and is open to comments from readers.
Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Center
- "Percutaneous Heart Valve Technology" is the current topic, with the lead article, "Percutaneous Heart Valve Technology As I See It", by Thomas A. Vassiliades Jr., MD of Atlanta, Georgia. The guest commentaries are by Ajit P. Yoganathan, PhD, Atlanta, Georgia; Irving L. Kron, MD, Charlottesville, Virginia; Ted Feldman, MD, Evanston, Illinois; and Steven F. Bolling, MD, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- Doctors Ryan E. Accord, Maastricht, Krishna Khargi, The Hague, and Jos G. Maessen, Maastricht, all of The Netherlands, have written a new article entitled "The Issue of Transmurality in Surgical Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation." Drs. Khargi and Maessen are Editors of the Arrhythmia Innovation Center.
- The first in a series of videos presented at the November 2005 meeting of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (STSA) is entitled "Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Repair via Bilateral Thoracosternotomy (Clamshell) Approach" by Drs. Jayesh Dhareshwar and Thoralf M. Sundt III of the Mayo Clinic.
- Dr. Jeff L. Myers, Chief of Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, has permitted CTSNet to publish the log of his experiences when Katrina devastated his home community. We think you will find this Special Report fascinating yet sobering reading.
- The Third Quarter 2005 THORACIC LITERATURE WATCH, compiled by Dr. Mark K. Ferguson, is now available.
- The Adult Cardiac Literature Watch for the third quarter of 2005 is now available. This Section is edited by Doctors Eric J. Okum, Chicago, Illinois, and Domenico Pagano, Birmingham, UK.
Thoracic
- A New Thoracic Expert Technique by Dr. Gaetano Rocco of Naples, Italy entitled " Wedge Resection of Solitary Pulmonary Nodules Through Uniportal VATS " is now available.
Cardiac
- A Cardiac Expert Technique entitled "Valve Sparing Aortic Root Replacement with Aortic Valve Re-Implantation" by Dr. George Tolis, Jr., Chief, Aortic Surgery Center, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY, is available.
Congenital
- A Congenital Heart Expert Technique contribution from Dr. Victor O. Morell of Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA is available: "Aortic Translocation for TGA with VSD and PS." Also included is a commentary by Section Editor Dr. Carl L. Backer.
- Doctors Uttam Tripathy, C. Kristian Enestvedt, Christopher B. Komanapalli and Mithran S. Sukumar of Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, present a Clinical Case entitled "Necrotizing Esophagitis: The Black Esophagus."
Organizations
E-COMMERCE SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE
Extending business transactions to the Web requires that the confidentiality and security of consumer data and the processing of payments be done in a secure and reliable environment. CTSNet now provides participating organizations with a straightforward e-commerce solution that enables transactions to occur via the Web. Using the state-of-the-art CTSNet e-Commerce service, participating organizations can conduct secure transactions online, without configuring underlying technology and without having to deal with the complexities of setting up private merchant accounts. CTSNet will work with organizations to set up transaction systems that best meet their needs. To learn how this unique service can benefit your organization, please contact Ray Everngam.
NEW VIDEO CATALOGING SYSTEM
Life has just been made easier! Our video library is now cataloged three ways: (1) chronologically - newest at top; (2) by subject area - thoracic, cardiac, and congenital; and (3) alphabetically by title. See Video Index box at top of right gutter on Video page for your selection. View the chronologic listing.
CTSNET LAUNCHES A BLOG FEATURE
What’s a BLOG?
A blog, or weblog, is a personal Web site updated frequently with commentary and links to news items, web sites, other blogs, or anything else you like. New items go on top and older items flow down the page. Blogs can be professional journals or personal diaries that focus on one subject or range across a universe of topics of interest to cardiothoracic surgeons.
CTSNet launches its blogs with postings from Dr. Robert Replogle and Dr. Tom Treasure. Readers are invited to comment on their postings. If you are a frustrated columnist, why not start your own blog on CTSNet? If you are interested in becoming a blogger, contact Tom Ferguson.
Available Blogs:
Robert Replogle, MD
Tom Treasure, MD
Luis Quinonez, MD
Eric Lim, MD
Access Blogs in the left menu under News and Views. And check frequently – New ones are coming in often.
CTSNet IMPLEMENTS GOOGLE SEARCH APPLIANCE AS ITS WEB SITE SEARCH ENGINE
CTSNet recently implemented the Google Search Appliance on the Web site. Now when readers enter terms in the search box, the CTSNet version of the Google Search Appliance provides a list of results that integrates the Web content from Participating Organizations, journals, books, and other pertinent sources. This integration enables a reader to stay apprised not only of what's happening within CTSNet Participating Organizations, but to stay at the leading edge of research, information, and opinions in the field through a single search. The current indexed collection of CTSNet content is more than 490,000 pages. The appliance provides many of the best features of the public Google search engine and provides a similar indexing structure, familiar interface, PageRank weighting, cached copies of documents, and conversion of documents into HTML.
New CTSNet Feature
Each scholarly document on CTSNet now has a print capability embedded on the page with the document. This feature has been applied across the entire CTSNet site to make it easier for readers conveniently to obtain a print copy of articles that are of special interest. For example, the latest thoracic expert technique. We hope this is of added help to all readers.
Have you registered for the upcoming STS 42nd Annual Meeting? Act now. You don’t want to miss it!
- STS/AATS Tech-Con 2006
- More scientific posters
- New Case Presentation Breakfast Sessions using your cases
- Opportunities to meet one-on-one with experts to discuss your difficult cases
- A new Cultural Competence Symposium
- Outstanding Scientific Sessions
- Thomas B. Ferguson Lecture by David Taggart, University of Oxford, on Angioplasty vs Bypass Surgery
- Sidney Levitsky’s Presidential Address
- STS University with hands-on learning and live surgical procedures
- Sold-out Exhibit Hall filled with valuable information on new products and technological breakthroughs
- A fun and memorable Member Social Event at the Chicago Art Institute with great food, Chicago jazz, and Second City!
The weather may be brisk, but warm buses will take you to and from the hotels and the convention center. Plenty of taxis are waiting. Come to Chicago for a great 2006 STS Annual Meeting! Visit www.sts.org
STS SPOUSE POST-GRADUATE COURSE
The STS SPOUSE POST-GRADUATE COURSE will be held Sunday, January 29, 2006 from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm (luncheon included) in conjunction with the Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL. The Course will take place at the Chicago Hilton and Towers Hotel.
The topic is "Leading from the Inside Out---Celebrating the Most Important Leadership Skill of All: Emotional Intelligence (EQ)."
Coursemasters are Jamie Dickey, PhD and Ross Ungerleider, MD. They will help teach EQ, mindfulness, and "mindsight" using a combination of exciting lectures, provocative film clips, and other compelling audiovisual enhancements.
Dr. Jamie Dickey has a PhD. in Educational Psychology from the University of Mississippi and a Masters in Social Work from Tulane University. She has spent 25 years as an educator, psychotherapist, organizational consultant, and executive coach. She is the Director of Interdisciplinary Education and is an Executive Coach at Oregon Health & Science University.
Dr. Ross Ungerleider, former Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Duke University, is currently Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and John C. Hursh Chair of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Oregon Health & Science University and Doernbecher Children's Hospital.
Please pre-register for the Course now!
Betsey Bradley Urschel
Chair, STS Spouse Post-Graduate Program
EACTS SEEKING NEW INFORMATION OFFICER
The European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery (EACTS) is soliciting proposals for the successor of the present Information Officer, Dr. Paul T. Sergeant of Leuven, Belgium. The post of Information Officer (IO) will be open in conjunction with the meeting in Stockholm, September 2006. The IO shall be appointed for a period of three years and may be re-appointed once. The closing date for receipt of applications is 1 February, 2006.
For further information about the post, directing inquiries to Dr. Sergeant, and mailing address for electronic applications.
The European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery (EACTS) welcomes applications for the Fontan prize. The prize is awarded to a cardiac, cardio-thoracic, or thoracic surgeon with postgraduate training. It is not limited to European citizens. The amount awarded at present is EURO 30,000 and should cover the costs of one year's stay at a major European department or research facility. Deadline for applications is the 15th of April 2006.
EACTS Bergamo School 2006 Course Dates Announced
EACTS announces the 2006 dates for the courses in the European School for Cardio-thoracic Surgery, held in Bergamo, Italy. Also scholarship applications are available. Details here.
EACTS OFFERS VISITING FELLOWSHIP GRANTS
A limited number of fellowships at EUR 3,000 will be granted by EACTS International Co-Operation Committee to enable surgeons at an advanced training stage in cardio-thoracic surgery to visit some leading institution(s) of their choice in Europe.
Is your institute interested in hosting an EACTS stipend?
The Committee is looking for institutions that are willing to accept visiting fellows for the above program. Criteria for accepting EACTS visiting fellows are available.
Marko Turina, MD, Chair
International Co-Operation Committee, EACTS
TSFRE - Public Policy Management Course
The Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education (TSFRE) is pleased to announce the availability of scholarships to attend the Leadership Program in Health Policy and Management at the Heller School of Public Policy and Management at Brandeis University, May 29 - June 3, 2006.
This week-long course is an intensive introduction to health care systems theory, health care policy, economics, politics, management, and health care leadership. The course will be taught by a faculty of internationally recognized health policy experts including Stuart Altman, Jon Chilingerian, and Sarita Bhalotra. Details are available online.
TSFRE is prepared to provide up to 14 partial scholarships of $2,500 toward the $4,200 cost of the course. Attendees will be responsible for their own travel and hotel expenses.
If you would like to be considered for a scholarship to attend this outstanding new course please send:
1) Your completed application;
2) Your Curriculum Vitae;
3) A letter describing why want to attend the course;
4) Two letters of recommendation.
Application materials must be received before March 15, 2006, and should be submitted to:
Rebecca Bonsaint
TSFRE
900 Cummings Center, Suite 221-U
Beverly, MA 01915
Telephone: (978) 927-8330
email: rbonsaint@prri.com
WORLD HEART FOUNDATION
Dr. Tom Pezzella describes the efforts of the humanitarian community to improve cardiac surgery in Mongolia, a country undergoing vast social, economic, and political changes. Dr. Pezzella has traveled to Mongolia four times in the last two years. His essay is entitled "On Location in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia."SIX NEW RESIDENT SYMPOSIUM LECTURES
Six new Resident Symposium Lectures given in March, 2005, and sponsored by St. Jude Medical, have been posted.
They are:
“Surgical Treatment of Heart Failure Following Anterior Myocardial Infarction” by CL Anathasuleas, MD, Norway Clinic and Carraway Methodist Medical Center, Birmingham, AL.
"Circulation Management During Great Vessel Surgery" by Joseph E. Bavaria, MD, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
"The Future of Surgery for Atrial Fibrillation" by James L. Cox, MD, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
“The Use of Mechanical Cardiac Valve Prostheses” by Robert W. Emery, MD, Cardiac Surgical Associates, St. Paul, MN.
"Surgical Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation: State of the Art and Future Directions" by Richard J. Shemin, MD, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA.
“Finally, My Residency Is Over: Now What?” by Grayson H. Wheatley III MD, Arizona Heart Institute, Phoenix, AZ.
TSRA/TSDA MEETING
The Thoracic Surgery Residents Association (TSRA) and the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association (TSDA) announce the Inaugural Cardiothoracic Technology Symposium for cardiothoracic surgical residents on May 19-21, 2006, at the University of Cincinnati. This interactive symposium will expose residents to emerging technologies and minimally invasive techniques with a hands-on animal/cadaver laboratory. Visit their webpage for more information.
NEW HORIZONS ARTICLE
In a contribution to the New Horizons Section of the Resident's page, Dr. C. Barber Mueller, former Chair of the Department of Surgery at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, gave these remarks to the medical students at that institution. Every physician and physician-to-be should read “The Privilege of Caring.”
CASE OF THE MONTH – NECROTIZING ESOPHAGITIS
Doctors Uttam Tripathy, C. Kristian Enestvedt, Christopher B. Komanapalli, and Mithran S. Sukumar of Oregon Health and Science University Portland, OR, present a Clinical Case entitled "Necrotizing Esophagitis: The Black Esophagus."
Please send your "interesting case presentations" to Dr. Vinod Thourani, Editor of the Residents Section.
The January issues of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery (ATS), The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (JTCVS), and the European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery (EJCTS) provide journal-based continuing medical education (CME) activities in our specialty. Each issue of the American journals will designate 3 articles, 1 in each major subject category (adult cardiac, general thoracic and congenital cardiac) as CME activities. EJCTS will designate 1 CME article per issue and will rotate around the subject categories. Readers interested in earning up to 1 hour of CME credit access the activity by logging into the electronic CME site via links on CTSNet. Directions take the reader to the learning objectives, questions and multiple choice answers, which are designed to engage the learner after he or she has read (and studied) the CME article. When all questions have been answered correctly, the reader can access highlighted passages of the CME article to review the answers in context.
The reader does not complete the CME activity until he or she completes a generic evaluation form. This form, required for CME accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), also asks for suggested topics for future CME activities. When the CME activity is finally completed, the article title and date of the CME activity are recorded in the learner's personal folder, "My CME", and the learner receives instructions for printing a certificate for up to one hour of approved CME credit.
The three societies, CTSNet, and HighWire Press have expended considerable treasure and effort to make CME available to subscribers of the three journals. Time, expense, availability, and relevance limit opportunities for busy cardiothoracic surgeons to earn CME credits. Specialty journal-based CME overcomes these barriers, costs the learner nothing, and is available 24 hours a day. We invite journal subscribers to give it a try.
ATS - L. Henry Edmunds, Jr.
EJCTS - Ludwig von Segesser
JTCVS - Andrew S. Wechsler
ASIAN ANNALS TO INCREASE FROM 4 TO 6 ISSUES PER YEAR
The Asian Cardiovascular & Thoracic Annals (AA or Asian Annals) announces the publication of 6 issues per year beginning in 2006. The issues will come out in February, April, June, August, October & December.
European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery
The EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY is pleased to announce that their electronic archive is now complete -- right back to Volume 1, Issue 1. Take advantage of this great resource!
- Note that Editorials, Images and Letters are all open access in EJCTS.
- The January issue of EJCTS is posted with its open-access/CME article:
Christophoros N. Foroulis and James A. C. Thorpe
”Photodynamic therapy (PDT) in Barrett's esophagus with dysplasia or early cancer” - Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2006 29: 30-34. http://ejcts.ctsnetjournals.org/cgi/content/full/29/1/30
- The February issue of INTERACTIVE CARDIOVASCULAR AND THORACIC SURGERY (ICVTS) is posted and is completely open-access.
- Join the ICVTS discussion in the Interactive Area.
- Join the on-line discussion at 'open-access' ICVTS http://icvts.ctsnetjournals.org/papbyrecent.dtl
THE ANNALS OF THORACIC SURGERY January 2006 Article for Discussion
The J. Maxwell Chamberlain Memorial Paper:
Gillinov AM, et al. Surgery for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in the setting of mitral valve disease: a role for pulmonary vein isolation?
Gillinov, et al, present an interesting analysis of the results of a simplified strategy for atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing mitral valve operations. Based on the premise that it is unknown whether pulmonary vein isolation or a complete Cox-Maze procedure is needed to ablate paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in patients with mitral valve disease, the authors assessed the impact of different surgical treatments for this arrhythmia in patients also undergoing mitral valve surgery.From July 1993 to January 2004, 152 patients underwent combined surgical treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and mitral valve disease. Ablation procedures included pulmonary vein isolation alone (n = 31, 20%), pulmonary vein isolation with left atrial connecting lesions (n = 80, 53%), and Cox-Maze (n = 41, 27%). The latter had longer duration of atrial fibrillation than the former (p < 0.0001). Ablation failure was defined as occurrence of atrial fibrillation any time beyond 6 months after operation.
Prevalence of AF peaked at 22% at 2 weeks and declined to 9% at 1 year. Risk factors included older age (p = 0.09), larger left atrium (p = 0.05), and rheumatic (p = 0.003) and degenerative etiologies (p = 0.03). Overall freedom from ablation failure was 84% at one year. The type of ablation procedure did not affect the outcome.
The authors concluded that pulmonary vein isolation alone may be adequate treatment for patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation undergoing mitral valve surgery, particularly when it is of short duration. Recent studies demonstrate that the pulmonary veins and posterior left atrium house triggers for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
We welcome comments on this interesting paper from surgeons who can support or refute the concept that vein isolation is an effective alternative to the Cox Maze or other strategies.
Please read the article and add your comments and experience to this Dilemma in Adult Cardiac Surgery in the CTSNet Discussion Forum.
The STSA Presidential address by D. Glenn Pennington entitled “The Impact of New Technology on Cardiothoracic Surgical Practice” is available full text.
Robert G. Ellison, MD
December 4, 1916-January 8, 2006
Robert Ellison died January 8, 2006. He was associated with the Medical College of Georgia throughout his professional life. He was a founding member of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the first Treasurer and the seventh President of the organization. He served as STS Historian from 1973 to 1992. Watch this space for a tribute to Dr. Ellison to be given by Dr. W. Gerald Rainer of Denver, Colorado.
George Lindesmith passed away at 77 years of age on January 7th, 2006 from complications related to a thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm. He was the 25th President of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Please refer to the CTSNet Transitions Section for a tribute to Dr. Lindesmith by Dr. Winfield J. Wells.
- January 31, 2006: THE 13TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE EGYPTIAN SOCIETY OF CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY, Cairo, Egypt.
- January 31, 2006: THE 59TH CONGRESS OF THE FRENCH SOCIETY OF THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY, Bordeau, France.
- February 28, 2006: THE 3RD CONGRESS OF THE POLISH SOCIETY OF CARDIO-THORACIC SURGEONS, Wroclaw, Poland.
- March 1, 2006: EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF THORACIC SURGEONS (ESTS), Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaMarch 10, 2006: THE WORLD SOCIETY OF CARDIO-THORACIC SURGEONS (WSCTS), Ottawa, Canada.
- April 1, 2006: The EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY (EACTS) and the EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF THORACIC SURGEONS (ESTS), Stockholm, Sweden.
- April 3, 2006: CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF THORACIC SURGEONS ANNUAL MEETING 2006 (CANATS), Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- April 8, 2006: SOUTHERN THORACIC SURGICAL ASSOCIATION, Tucson, Arizona
- April 24, 2006: AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CHEST PHYSICIANS, Salt Lake City, Utah.
- April 30, 2006: XXX CONGRESS OF THE ITALIAN SOCIETY OF THORACIC SURGERY, Assisi, Italy.
More meeting abstract deadlines are available.
The 42nd Annual Meeting of THE SOCIETY OF THORACIC SURGEONS will be held January 30-February 1, 2006, in Chicago, Illinois. The meeting program and online registration are now available.
AMSECT EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE
The AmSECT Emerging Technology Conference will be held February 1-5 at the Moon Palace Resort in Cancun, Mexico.
International CME and Workshop in Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
An INTERNATIONAL CME AND WORKSHOP IN CARDIOVASCULAR AND THORACIC SURGERY will be held February 10-12, 2006 in Lucknow, India.
Contact Name: Dr. Surendra Kumar Agarwal; Department of CVTS, SGPGIMS, Lucknow 226014, India; Phone: +91-522-2668700 extn. 2208 (O); 2209 (R); Fax. No. +91-522-2668 017; email: surendra@sgpgi.ac.in.
SAN DIEGO CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY SYMPOSIUM
The 26th Annual SAN DIEGO CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY SYMPOSIUM, chaired by Julie A. Swain, MD, will be held February 16-19, 2006, at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina in San Diego, California.
35th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
The 35th Annual Meeting of the GERMAN SOCIETY FOR THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY (GSTCVS) will be held February 19-22, 2006 in Hamburg, Germany. The theme for the program is “Wind of Change,” and will emphasize new techniques and products for the rising generation of cardiothoracic surgeons.
24th International Cardiovascular Surgical Symposium
The 24th INTERNATIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR SURGICAL SYMPOSIUM, sponsored by the EACTS, will be held March 4-11, 2006 in Zurs/Arlberg, Austria. Deadline for submission is January 10, 2006.
GENERAL THORACIC SURGICAL CLUB MEETING
The GENERAL THORACIC SURGICAL CLUB meeting will be held March 9-12, 2006 at the Hilton El Conquistador Hotel in Tucson, Arizona.
SOCIETY OF CARDIOTHORACIC SURGEONS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND
THE SOCIETY OF CARDIOTHORACIC SURGEONS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND will be held in Dublin, Ireland March 13-16, 2006. Log on to the Society website for full information and programme details.
BRAZILIAN CONGRESS OF CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY
The BRAZILIAN CONGRESS OF CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY will be held in Salvador (Bahia) Brazil, March 29-April 1, 2006. Accepted abstracts will be published in the Brazilian Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery, in Portuguese in the print version and in Portuguese and English in the electronic version. Manuscripts (complete for publication) of the ACCEPTED presentations must be sent to the Society (Rua Beira Rio 45, 7th floor, Săo Paulo, Brazil ZIP 04548-050) by February 15, 2006.
The 86th Annual Meeting of THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THORACIC SURGERY will be held April 29 - May 3, 2006 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA. The scientific program, registration, and housing are now available.
ESCVS 55th INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
The 55th International Congress of The EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY will be held May 11-14, 2006 in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation. For information, please contact: Prof. Claudio Muneretto, Secretary General - European Society for Cardiovascular Surgery, UDA Cardiochirurgia - Spedali Civili, P.le Spedali Civili 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy, Phone: + 39 030 3996401; Fax: + 39 030 3996096; Email: munerett@master.cci.unibs.it
EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF THORACIC SURGEONS
The 3rd Spring Meeting of the EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF THORACIC SURGEONS will be held May 12-13, 2006 at Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The DEADLINE for abstracts is March 1, 2006.
PEDIATRIC MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND PEDIATRIC CARDIOPULMONARY PERFUSION
The Second International Conference on PEDIATRIC MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND PEDIATRIC CARDIOPULMONARY PERFUSION will be held May 18-20, 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Questions concerning the conference should be directed to Bonnie J. Bixler, MEd, Director of Special Projects, Penn State College of Medicine Ph: 717-531-6483
Massachusetts general hospital 36th annual postgrad course
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL 36th ANNUAL POSTGRADUATE COURSE IN GENERAL THORACIC SURGERY will be held May 25-26, 2006 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, Cambridge, MA. Additional information can be found at http://www.cme.hms.harvard.edu or by calling 1-617-384-8600.
14th Annual Asian Society for Cardiovascular Surgery Meeting
The 14th Annual Meeting of THE ASIAN SOCIETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY (ASCVS) will be held June 1-3, 2006 at the Osaka International Convention Center, Osaka, Japan. For information, contact: Secretariat of 14th ASCVS, National Cardiovascular Center, 5-7-1 Fujishirodai, Suita, Osaka, 565-8565, Japan; Phone: 81 6 4863 7290; Fax: 81 6 4863 7289; Email: ascvs2006@iris.ocn.ne.jp
TORONTO THORACIC REFRESHER
The 32nd Annual TORONTO THORACIC REFRESHER Course will be held June 2-3, 2006 at the Sutton Place Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Further details to follow. The brochure will be available online in January 2006.
The INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR MINIMALLY INVASIVE CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY (ISMICS) will be held June 7-10, 2006, at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. The Society's Annual Scientific Meeting will feature over 50 presentations of original research on the newest technologies and techniques used in the practice of minimally invasive cardiothoracic surgery. The 2006 spotlight highlights work in Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery. Make your hotel reservations early! San Francisco hotels will be completely full this time of year.
The 32nd Annual Meeting of the Western Thoracic Surgical Association (WTSA) will be held June 21-24, 2006 at the beautiful Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho.
SCANDINAVIAN ASSOCIATION FOR THORACIC SURGERY AND SCANSECT
The 55th Annual Meeting of the SCANDINAVIAN ASSOCIATION FOR THORACIC SURGERY and the 26th Annual Meeting of SCANSECT will be held August 16-19, 2006, in Reykjavik, Iceland. Information: Iceland Travel, Conference Department, P.O. Box 8650,IS-128 Reykjavik, Iceland. Phone 354.585.4300, fax 354.585.4390; e-mail: conferences@icelandtravel.is.
The 2006 Meeting of the World Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (WSCTS) will be held August 17-20, 2006 at Ottawa Congress Centre, Ottawa, Canada. ABSTRACTS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED. ABSTRACT DEADLINE IS MARCH 10, 2006.
5th ANNUAL EACTS/ESTS JOINT MEETING
The 5th Annual combined meeting of the EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY (EACTS) and the EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF THORACIC SURGEONS (ESTS) will be held September 9-13, 2006 in Stockholm, Sweden. The EACTS-ESTS Techno-College is September 9. Abstracts are due by April 1, 2006. Watch the website for further information as it is released.
The 10th Annual HEART LAB WORKSHOP will be held at the Hotel Renaissance in Zurich, Switzerland October 18-22, 2006. For more information:
http://www.heartlab.org
53rd Southern Thoracic Surgical Association Meeting
The 53rd meeting of the SOUTHERN THORACIC SURGICAL ASSOCIATION will be held at the Starr Pass Marriott, Tucson, Arizona, November 9-11, 2006. Abstract deadline: April 8, 2006. For information, contact Nancy Gray Puckett or Jeanne Delaney Lippert
633 North St. Clair, Suite 2320, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 800-685-7872
FAX: 312-202-5801
E-Mail: stsa@stsa.org
EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF EOSPHAGOLOGY (ESE)
The Annual Meeting of the EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF EOSPHAGOLOGY (ESE) will be held November 30-December 2, 2006 in Leuven, Belgium. The abstract deadline is July 1, 2006. Come and learn about the latest progress in esophagology. And enjoy Leuven, city of the oldest University of the Benelux.
CITATION OF CTSNET SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS
We continue to get inquiries about citing articles published on CTSNet, so here is some information that should be useful. If you publish a scholarly paper on CTSNet, you should cite it in your CV. Style manuals and Index Medicus have been haggling about the proper format for several years, principally because, unlike print, net papers can be modified from time to time. Therefore, the citation should include the date of (a) posting or of modification, and/or (b) date of access when quoted as a reference. This assures that the proper iteration of the paper is being cited.
For your reference in your own CV:
Tripathy U, Enestvedt K, Komanapalli CB, Sukumar MS. Necrotizing esophagitis: the black esophagus. Available at CTSNet, Inc. http://www.ctsnet.org/sections/clinicalresources/clinicalcases/article-7.html. Posted 7 November 2005.
For an author quoting your reference in the bibliography of his or her paper:
Tripathy U, Enestvedt K, Komanapalli CB, Sukumar MS. Necrotizing esophagitis: the black esophagus. Available at CTSNet, Inc. http://www.ctsnet.org/sections/clinicalresources/clinicalcases/article-7.html. Posted 7 November 2005. Accessed 30 November 2005.
As time passes, more and more net references will be found in CVs, and they will be considered seriously by promotion committees, just as print articles are now.
STS MEETING
If you are attending the STS Meeting in Chicago, stop by the CTSNet booth (606-608) to say hello, and get that picture taken, so you won’t have to read the paragraph below. However, if you miss us there, Maud Zingmark will be attending the 35th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery “Wind of Change” from 19 - 22 February 2006 in Hamburg, Germany, and would be happy to take your photo.
MEMBER PHOTOS
We thank all those members who have sent your photos for posting on your home page. It does make such a difference when curious fellow-members can eyeball you. For those who have not yet done so, we urge you to send a photograph soon. We prefer a jpeg file attached to an e-mail, but will accept other types (bitmap, gif). Or simply send us a wallet-sized glossy print to the address below.
Thomas B. Ferguson, M.D.
Senior Editor
Carol L. Blasberg
Managing Editor
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